Ampoule washer



pril1s,1944; y E, E. LAKS@ n 2,347,057

AMPOULE WASHER Filed March 28, 1941 7"Sheets-Sheet 1 plil 18, 1944. v E, E LAKSQ I 2,347,057

AMPOULE WASHER Filed Marh 28, 1941 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 E.. E. LAKSO AMPOULE WASHER Filed March 28. 19211" April 18, 1944. E. E. LAKsO AMPOULE WASHER '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 28, 1941 April 18, 1944. E E LAKS@ v v 2,347,057

AMPOULE WASHER Filed March 28, 1941 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 l fr DEGREES 20 April 18, 1944.

Patented Apr. 18, 1944 UNITED STATES AMPOULE WASHER Eino E. Lakso, Fitchburg, Mass.

l Application March 2s, 19'41, serial No. 385,594

22 Claims.

My invention relates to an ampoule washer and more especially to apparatus for cleansing and drying ampoules o r other small containers.

As is well known in the art, the usual ampoule is provided with an elongated hollow slender* neck through which the ampoule contents are introduced and dispensed, the neck being sealed to preserve the ampoule contents until such time as it is desired to use the same. cleansing and drying of ampoules has been accomplished by hand operations wherein the workman telescopes the slender open end of the ampoule neck over a minute tube through which cleansing uids and nally dry sterile air are introduced into the interior of the ampoule to Wash out foreign materials and finally to dry the ampoule. Owing to the small size of the opening in the neck of the usual ampoule, as well as the fact that the sameis made of vrelatively thin fragile glass, there is constant danger of breakage of the ampoule necks during the assembly thereof on the tubes. Moreover, the application of the cleansing uids andthe drying of the ampoule depends entirely on the eiiiciency of the workman.

One of the more general objects of the present invention is to bring about a form of apparatus in which the Washing, drying or other treatment" of the ampoules may be accomplished with less danger of breakage and more certainty that the desired degree of cleanliness and dryness may be obtained.

In a more specific aspect, the object of the invention is to bring about a form of machine in which the introduction of the ampoules, assembly on the cleansing and drying tubes, washing and drying and iinal discharge from the machine may be carried out automatically and with a minimum amount of attention on the part of a workman.

To these and other ends the invention resides in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred form of ampoule Washer, according to the invention, the washer as shown being broken away in part to show certain internal features of construction.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the ampoule washer shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken alongvline 4-4 of Fig. 3;

' Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation of Her'etofore the certain features of the ampoule washer particularly those serving to eject the ampoules after the same are washed and dried.

. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6 6 of Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the arrangement for feeding the ampoules into the machine, the latter being broken away in part to expose certain features of structure.

10 Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8 -8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is an elevational View of the mechanism shown l in Fig. 8 and is taken from the right hand end of such mechanism as shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. `l0 is a sectional view taken along line lll-I0 of Fig. 5; e

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken along line H-H of Fig. 3, and.

Fig'. 12 is a diagram showing the relative timgn ing of the several motions of the parts of the machine.

. In carrying out the invention I prefer to introduce-the cleansing and drying uids into the ampoules by means of tubes over which the ampoules are telescoped and for convenience in describing the invention the preferred form shown in the drawings may be roughly divided functionally into (l) an ampoule feed station whereat is located the mechanism for carrying the ampoules into the machine and telescoping the same over the tubes, (2) the mechanism for controlling the ampoules during the cleansing and drying of the same, (3) the mechanism for applying cleansing and drying agents tothe 85 ampoules, and (4) the mechanismfor ejecting the cleansed ampoules from the machine. It will be understood, of course, that the above mechanisms are by no means independent of each other in their several operations but are so o coordinated and Arelated that each cooperates with the other to the end that the ampoules may pass into and through the machine Awithout attention on the part of the workmari operating the machine and centainty that fthe Washing,

5 drying or other operations will'f-be fully carried is driven by suitable power means, as motor 22,

by means of chain 23, which passes over sprocket 24, the latter being mounted freely on shaft 2|, a clutch element 25, splined on shaft 2l, being engaged by the sprocket to eiect rotation of the shaft. 'I'he axial motion of the clutch element wards and away from one another.

embodying mechanism for feeding the ampoules 'lo into the machine and telescoping the same over the fluid tubes. As shown, this mechanism takes the form of a pair of endless belts .33 and 34, which pass over pulleys 35 and 33, of which pulley 36 is mounted for free rotation on horizontal shaft 31 while pulley 35 is mounted nxedly on and driven by horizontal shaft 38. It will be noted that the shafts 31 and 38 are so positioned on the machine that the belts 33 and 34 are provided with substantial upper stretches, intermittent motion of the latter inwardly towards the center of the machine being produced by an eccentric 39 fast on shaft 2|, the eccentric strap 40 being connected by a rod 4| to a crank arm 42 mounted on shaft 43 on the frame 20. A pawl 44 on crank arm 42 engages a ratchet 45, mounted for rotation on shaft 43, the ratchet 45 having a gear 46 attached thereto and meshing with a gear 41 keyed to and driving shaft 38. 'I'he relation of the throw" of eccentric 39 and the pitch of gears 46 and 41 may be varied in the design of the machine to produce adesired length of travel of the belts during each period of movement thereof, a travel of 6" being sufficient for most` purposes.

Mounted immediately above and paralleling the belts 33 and 34 are guideways 48, 49, 50 and 5|, the guideways 48 and being disposed in spaced relation above belt 33 while guideways 50 and 5| are disposed in spaced relation above belt 34. It will be observed that the guideways 48 and 49 are chamfered at their inner upper corners, as at 52 and 53, and cooperate to form horizontal V-shape ways in which the ampoules are placed by the workman to rest on the belt thereunder, the open ends of the ampoules being disposed pointing inwardly in the direction of travel of the belt. The guideways and belt are so adjusted (in a manner to be hereinafter described) that the ampoules rest on and are carried by the belt, the ampoules during such motion being guided by the guideways. The guideways 50 and 5| are likewise chamfered at their inner upper adjacent edges and in similar manner form V-shape ways which 'guide the ampoules resting on and carried along by belt 34. It will be understood without further description that the belts and ways support the ampoules in substantially horizontal position with their axes disposed substantially in alignment with the uid tubes 54 and 55 when the latter are brought to rest in a position horizontally disposed at the inner ends ofthe ways. In order that such alignment of the ampoules and fluid tubes may be exact, and notwithstanding the diameters of the bodies of the ampoules, the guideways 48, 49, 58 and 5| are supported so that the guideways of each pair may be adjusted to- For this purpose guideways 48 and 50 are mounted on a horizontally directed transverse slide 51 while guideways 49 and 5| are mounted on a parallel slide 53, the slides at their outerends being interconnected by means of a lever 58pivoted on the slides and midway between the same -on the supplemental frame 58, the lever extending outwardly at one end to be received in the groove 68 in screw 6| threaded in frame 59. It will be readily understood that as the screw 6| is threaded inwardly or outwardly in the frame, the lever 58 effects motion of the slides in opposite directions to produce motion of the guideways of each respective pair towards or away from one another. As a further aid in producing alignment of the ampoules on the belts with the fluid tubes, the supplemental frame is mounted for swinging movement about the shaft 38 and since the shaft 31 is mounted in the supplemental frame together with the guideways, slides and adjusting lever it will be apparent that'upward or downward swinging movement of the frame will bring the forward ends of the ampoules on the belts into or out of alignment with the ends of the uid tubes. For the purpose of moving the supplemental frame to bring the ampoules-into alignment with the fluid tubes, an adjusting screw 64 is threaded in the boss 85, on the main frame-23, the inner end of the screw 64 bearing against a lug 66 on the supplemental frame. a spring plunger, also on the main frame, and designated by the reference numeral 61., bearing against the opposite side of the lug and holding the latter against the end of the screw. The screw serves to adjust the supplemental frame in an upward direction while the spring pressed plunger, aided bythe weight of the supplemental frame and the parts mounted thereon, moves the frame downwardly.

While the arrangement for supporting the ampoule, as described above, brings the ampoules into reasonably good alignment with the ends of the uid tubes, there is no certainty that irregularities in manufacture of the ampoules will not leave the open ends of the necks thereof out of alignment with the fluid tubes so tli'at relative movement of the ampoules and tubes would not result in the' latter being telescoped within the ampoules. With the above in mind, provision is made herein for effecting accurate alignment of the open ends of the ampoules with the tubes. To this end there are positioned, opposite the inner ends of the guideways and in alignment withthe fluid tubes, guides or cones 88 and 69. each cone being bored horizontally in alignment with the tubes, the bores being of a diameter slightly larger than the fluid tubes so that the latter may be received therein. The cones are counterbored at their ends, as at 18 and 1| to form conical openings tapering inwardly. During the intermittent motions of the belts 33 and 34, the ampoules are advanced until their open ends are received in the conical openings 1|, the forward ends of thenecks engaging `and being guided by the conical Vsurfaces of the openings into alignment with the bores of the conical guides. When -so positioned the conical guides and ampoules may be advanced relatively to the fluid tubes, the conical surfaces of the openings 18 guiding the tubes into the bores of the conical guides and thus into the open ends of the ampoules. 'I'he intermittent motion of the belts effects, of course, the motion of the ampoules with respect to the fluid tubes, the synchronized motion of the conical guides being produced by while the lower halves are mounted on or form' aiprt of arm '13.A Arm 12 is fixed on the inner end of hollow shaft 14, mounted for rotation in the bearing 15 of` guide frame or carriage 16 while arm 13 is Xed on the inner end of shaft 11, extending axially through shaft 14. Motion of the conical guides axially of the fluid tubes is produced by motion of carriage 16 along ways 18 and 19 on frame 20, ways 18 and 19 being parallel to the fluid tubes. Proper synchronized motion of the carriage 16 is produced by a cam 80 on shaft 2|, a bell crank lever 8|, pivoted on the frame 20 at 82, having a cam follower 83 at lts lower end engaging the cam, the other end of the lever being bifurcated, as at 84, to straddle a pin or stud 85 on carriage 16. The cam 80, in this case, is an internal one and it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the synchronization-of the motion of the neck guides or cones-with the motion of the belts simply requires a proper shape and setting of cam 80 as well as the eccentric 39.

on its outer end a gear 88 meshing with the other set of teeth on the rack. It will be apparent that motion of the rack upwardly or downwardly will responding to the number of pairs of iuid tubes Q supported by the head 96 (in a manner to be effect rotationof the gears, and thus the arms and cones, in opposite directions. Upward movement of the rack 81 is produced by a -link 89, connected at its lower end to one end of bell crank lever 90, the latter being pivoted at 9| on the frame 20 and having a cam follower at its opposite end engaging cam 92 on shaft 2| the upper end of the link being bifurcated and straddling a pin or stud 93 on rack 81. The upward motion of the rack serves to open the guides or cones, downward motion of the rack, and thus the closing of the neck guides, being produced by a spring 94 one end of'which is attached to the stud 93, the other end being attached to the carriage 16. The action of the spring in moving the rack downwardly is controlled by the motion of link 89 but permits a certain amount of play between the link andstud so that.the neck guides may be tightly closed and the carriage moved along its ways without interference from the link. The cam 92 is so shaped that the conical guides are opened as soon as they reach the forward limit of their motion with respect to the fluid tubes, the guides remaining open during the rearward motion of the carriage 16 and thereafter being again closed before the motion of the belts bringsthe next pair of ampoules into position to engage in the conical openings of the guides.

Upon reception of the ampoules on the fluid tubes, the ampoules and tubesare ready for further motion to bring about the cleansing and drying of the ampoules, the mechanism for producing this motion being as follows: Extending vertically upwardly through frame 20 and supported in suitable bearings therein is a shaft 95 on the upper end of which a disc-like-head 96 is secured, as by nut or cap 91, the lower end of the shaft having fixed thereon a relatively large diselike member 98. Evenly spaced around the peripheral edge cf the A disc y98' 'and extending downwardlytherefrom are studs 99 on which are rollers |00, thenumber of studs and rollers corhereinafter described), the disc 99 and thus, the head 96 being given an intermittent rotary motion by engagement of the rollers |00 by the cam |0| mounted on and drivenby shaft 2|. The cam |0| is so shaped that throughout the greater part of its periphery it isreceived between an adjacent panof rollers to hold the dise 9s against motion, the disc 98 and head 96 bringing a pair of iiuid tubes into position opposite the neck guides each time that the disc comes to rest.

Mounted on and extending radially outwardly from the head 96 are spaced arms |02 the outer ends of which are vbored transversely to form bearings for the reduced outer ends of the hollow fluid tube spindles |03, the spindles being horizontally disposed one between the outer ends of each adjacent pair of arms |02. It will be noted that each spindle |03 is bored axially part way to oneA of its ends, as at |04, the outer end of the bore being plugged. Supported in and extending radially outwardly from the spindles in parallel relation are the'spaced pairs of uid tubes 54 and 55, the tubes of each pair communicating with the bore |04 of its respective spindle, each spindle likewise having a radially extending hollow nipple |05 mountd therein and communicating with the fluid tubes 54 and 55 during the application of the cleansing and drying fluids, and for other 1 purposes which will appear hereinafter, the spindles |03 are swung, during the intermittent rotary motion of the head 96 to bring the fluid tubes into vertical position pointing upwardly with the ampoules receivedon the upper ends thereof.

For this purpose each spindle is provided with al radial stud- |08 extending radially outwardly therefrom at the opposite side from the nipple |05, the studs |08 engaging a tilting cam |09 supported beneath. the spindlesv |03 on the walls of the bowl H0 carried on the upper side of the frame 20. The -cam |09 throughout the greater part of its `length is of ring-like form and provided with an upper face III on which the studs |08 rest to position the tubes 54 and 55 in vertical position. Near the conical guides the cam |09 is provided with a groove ||2 into which the studs |09 pass. the groove being so shaped that the studs are swung downwardly into vertical position with the fluid tubes 54 and 55 horizontally disposed opposite the conical guides, the sides of the groove |I2 preventing upward or downward motion of the tubes 54 and 55 at this time. The cam |0| gives the head 96 .an intermittent motion in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed wardly through the head 96 and are mounted i tightly in annular valve ring III which valve ring is pressed against tl'ueupiiery flat face ||4 of the distributor ||5 by springs 6 mounted in the head 96 and bearing against the valve ring I I3. The distributor ||5 is ported, as at H1, I I6 and I I9, for the passage of the cleansing and drying fluids into the nipples |01 and thus through the tubes |06 and nipples |05 into the spindles |03 and into the tubes 54 and 55, the nipples |01 as they areparried around by the head 96 aligning with the ports successively. During the washing and drying of the ampoules the latter are held against excessive movement upwardly on the tubes 54 and 55 by the ringlike shield |20 secured in proper spaced relation above tubes 54 and 55 by the studs |2| extending upwardly from certain of the arms |02.

In the particular instance shown, three arcuate ports areprovided in the distributor I 5 of which port I |1 is connected, by pipe |22 and other ittings, to a source of supply of washing uids, the entrance of the fluids into the machine being controlled by valve |23. Port 6 is connected,A

by` pipe |24 and suitable fittings, to a source of supply of sterile water, while port ||9 is connected by pipe |25 to a source of hot dry sterile air. Valve |26 controls the admission of sterile water into the machine while valve |21 controls the application of dry air. The stems of the valves |23, |26 and |21 are engaged for simultaneous opening movement by a strap |23, the

valves being closed when the machine is idle and opened when the machine is started through the intermediary of a crank arm |30 von the rocker shaft 28, the crank arm |30 being connected by link |3| to the lever |32, pivoted at its inner end on the frame 20, the outer end of the lever |32 having a roller |33 thereon which, upon upward movement of the arm |30, swings the strap about its supports to unseat the valves. It will be understood that motion of the rocker shaft 28 by lever 26 in a direction to bring the clutch on shaft 2| into engagement also serves to open the valves. If desired the exteriors of the ampoules maybe washed and dried-as by means of a spray head |34, straddling the shield and having downward1ydepending pipes |35 thereon apertured to form nozzles directed towards the ampoules. The ampoules may also be dried and sterilized by the wardly therefrom on the opposite side from the tubes 54 and 55 in a direction parallel to the ejector rods |31. Motion of the block |40, and thus the ejector rods, is obtained by engagement thereof with the horizontally movable slides |42 and |43 mounted in superposed relation in slideway |44 in frame 20, each slide having its inner end bent upwardly to form an abutment, such as |45 and |46, the abutments |45 and |46 receiving therebetween the downwardly depending abutment |41 on ejector rod block |40. Motion `of the ejector rods outwardly is eifected by motion of slide |42 in an outward direction while the ejector rods are returned to inoperative position by slide |43. For the purpose of effecting motion 0f slide |43, there is mounted in the outer end 'thereof and extending vertically upwardly a stud |46 received in the yoke |49 at one end of lever |50, pivoted on the frame at I5| and having 20 an arcuate extension |52 beyond the pivot, the

extension receiving thereon an adjustable slide |53, the position of the slide on the extension being controlled by a screw |54 mounted for rotation in a lug at the outer end of the extension and threaded in a lug on the slide.' The slide |53 is connected by means of link |55 to a crank arm |56 on shaft |51 mounted for rotation in the frame 20, a second crank arm |56 on the inner end of the shaft having a cam follower |59 thereon in engagement with the cam|60 on shaft 2|. Motion oi' slide |42 is eected by a lever |6| pivoted at one end on frame 20, as at |5I, the opposite end of the lever |6| having a yoke thereon straddling the stud |62 secured in and extending downwardly from the under side of slide |42. Movement of lever |6| is eected by link |63, one end of which is pivotally connected to the lever |6| between the ends thereof, the other end o f the link being pivotally connected to the upper end of lever |64 pivotally supported between its ends on shaft |51. the lower end of lever |64 having a cam follower |65 thereon in contact withcam |66 on shaft 2 I.

During the rotary movement of the head 96, the

' tilting cam |09 brings the fluid tubes 54 and 5l application of heat thereto as by means of the' gas burner or other heating means |36. Those n the fluid tubes 54 and 55 to rest in the position shown particularly in Figs. 1 and' wherein the skilled in the art will understand that the number of ports in the distributor may be varied as desired as may the types of fluids which are are ready to be discharged from the machine, which, in this case is effected automatically. For this purpose there is slidably mounted in each thereon, an ejector rod |31, having a head |36 ilxed on the outer end thereof and extending laterally towards the tubes 54 and 55, the head being slidably mounted on said tubes. The rods I 31 and heads |36 are moved outwardly to push the ampoules off the tubes when the latter are in horizontal position and at rest over the discharge ramp |39, the tubes 54 and 55 having been swung down into horizontal position at this point by the tilting cam. For the purpose of actuating the ejector rods to eject the ampoules from the tubes, the ejector rods are each provided at its inner end with an ejector rod block |40, mounted for sliding movement along a guide rod |4| xed spindle |03, parallel to and immediately-aboveA and between the respective fluid tubes 54 and 55 6,0 s

1 the slide |42 back to itso'riginal position. The

into horizontal position just prior to the time that the abutment on the ejector rod block passes between the ejector slide abutments |45 and |46, the intermittent motion of the head 96 bringing until the latter is at'ithe end of the uii tubes 54 and 55 whereupon the cam eiccts motion of return'motion `of the ejector rod, head and guide is effected by slide |43 through engagement of its abutment |46 with the abutment |41 and actuat-ion by its respective cam, It willbe noted that the amount of movement 'ofslid |43 may be regulatedbyadjustment of slide" |53 along .the arcuate extension |52, the inward movement of,

the slide |43 being greatest'when the slide |53* 7o is adjusted closest to the pivot 5| It will be noted that the extension |52 is curved along a line whose center of curvature is the upper end of crank arm |56, the slide |43 being brought to rest in the same position, when it is inoperain the respective spindles |03 and extending in- 15' tive, for this reason. 'I'he adjustment of the slide |53 on the extension |52 controls the amount of throw of the lever |50 and thus the amount of'inward movement of the slide |43 and the ejector rods and heads. The ejector blocks |40 are each provided with a spring pressed plunger |61 engaging its respective guide rod IM, the plungers acting to hold the ejectors and especially the blocks thereof in the positions in which they are left by the slide |43. Thus the heads |38 form seats on which the ends of the ampoules may rest during the cleansing thereof, the amount of throw of lever |50 being so adjusted by movement of the slide |53 that the heads |38 will support the ampoules with their bottoms spaced from the ends of the fluid tubes so that the fluids may pass freely into the ampoules.

The operation of the machine as a whole will be readily understood from the above description but will he brieily summarized. The motor being rotated and the clutch thrown in, the belts will be advanced in an intermittent motion to-g wards the fluid tubes o n the head while the latter will he given an intermittent motion to bring the fluid tubes successively into alignment -with the upper stretches of the belts. The ampoules are placed in the ampoule guideways with the open ends thereof pointed towards the fluid tubes initial position ready to receive and guide the next pair of ampoules on to the succeeding fluid tubes. It will be noted by reference to the chart shown in Fig. 12 th'atwhile the motion of the belts is initiated priorfto the forward motion of the guides or cones, that the forwards motions of both cones and belts-is arrested at the same tube in substantially axial alignment therewith,

means engaged by the advancing ampule to bring at least the open end thereof into exact alignment with the tube and means for effecting' simultaneous motion of the ampoule and said means with respect to the -tube to telescope the latter within the ampoule.

2. In an ampoule washer. a tube support, tubes on the support, an ampoule feeding station, said support and station being relatively movable one past the other, an ampoule mouth guiding element mounted at the feeding station, said ampoule mouth guiding element having a bore in axial alignment with but spaced from a tube, means for effecting relative motion of the element with respect to the tube to cause the tube to enter and pass the bore, means on said element for supporting the open end of an ampoule in axial alignment with the bore, means at the feeding station for feeding the ampoule when so supported to telescope the tube within the ampoule, means to retract and free the ampoule mouth guiding element from the ampouleand telescoped tube, and

time. Thus while the helts may bring the amv poule open ends or mouths into contact with the conical guides prior to any movement of the means to relatively move the tubeV support and station to bring another tube into the prior position of the rst tube, whereby one ampoule mouth guiding element is effective to guide a plurality f winch the ampoule guiding element isprovided latter, there can be no motion of succeeding amwith a conical surface, the axis of the conical surface being in general alignment with the axis of the bore. 'Y

5. The combination according to claim 2 in I which the ampoule guiding element is provided ing cam at which time the ejectors are actuated machine is carried out automatically so that each ampoule will receive uniform treatment, the workman attending the machine simply being required to place the ampoules in'the ampoule suidewavs.

with a conical tube receiving opening therein in axial alignment with the bore. Y

6. The combination in an ampoule washer of aA Y port, means for effecting intermittentmotion of y the tube support to bring the tubes successively into augment with ampoules onthe ampoule support, means for effecting motion of the ampoules on the ampoule support towards the tubes in alignment therewith and separately movable means engageable by the ampoules and movable therewith during such motion to guide the open ends thereof on to the tubes, and means to move said last named means.

'1. The combinationl according to claim 2 in which the ampoule guiding element is split axially into two halves and the retracting means includes means for effecting motion of the halves radially away from one another to release the ampoule when received on the4 tube. l

8. The combination according to claim 6 charocteriled in that an endless belt constitutes the ond named means is arranged to give the belt an intermittent motion.

9. The combination according to claim 6 in which means is associated with the tubes for limiting the amount the'tubes extend into the ampoules.

10. The combination according to claim 6 in which means is mounted on the tubes for effecting withdrawal of the tubes from the ampoules when the latter are washed.

l1. The combination according to claim 6 in which means is mounted on the tubes for relative axial movement to support the ampoules with the tubes spaced from the bottoms thereof together with means for effecting motion of the last named means to strip the ampoules oi the tubes when the ampoules are washed.

12. The combination in an ampoule washer of tubes having open ends, a traveling carrier for the sented at the station, said guide being normallyspaced from said tube and mounted at the station, means on said guide for supporting the mouth of an ampoule in alignment with said bore, means effective to simultaneously advance said guide and supported ampoule relatively toward the open end of said tube, whereby said tube will pass through said bore and enter the ampoule, means to retract and freethe guide from the ampoule, and means to travel the carrier past the feeding station.

13. An ampoule washing machine comprising a tube support and an ampoule feed station, said support and station being mounted for relative movement one past the other, means associated with said ampoule feed station for advancing ampoules toward said tube support, an ampoule neck guide movable between said support and station in a direction generally normal to the direction of said relative movement, means on said guide to receive and relatively center ampoules and tubes whereby the same may telescope, and means freeing said guide from said tubes to leave said tube support free to relatively move therepast.

14. An ampoule washing. machine comprising a carriage, tubes on said carriage, a stationary support, ampoule feeding means on the Support to telescope ampoules on said tubes, split ampoule guide means for the telescoping action, means to move the split ampoule guide means apart to free the telescoped ampoule, means to move said carriage past said ampoule feeding means, said ampoule guide means being mounted on thesupport free of the carriage for successive operation on a succession of tubes, whereby but one ampoule guide is necessary to load ampoules on the tubes.

15. An ampoule washing machine comprising a means for supporting the ampoules and said seccarriage, tubes on said carriage, a relatively stationary ampoule feed station, means to intermittently move said carriage past said station, means to telescope ampoules on said tubes, means limiting the extent of the telescoping action so as to prevent the tubes contacting the bottoms of the ampoules, means actuating said limiting means to eject the ampoules from the tubes, and manual means eective to adjust the position of said limiting means in its limiting action to provide for telescoping Various sizes of ampoules on said tubes.

16. An ampoule washing machine as recited in claim wherein the'limiting means comprises an element slidable along the tubes. i

17. In an ampoule washing machine the comi bination of means forming a groove, means lto feed ampoules along said groove, and means effective to adjust the width of said groove for various diameters of ampoules; with a carriage, tubes on said carriage adapted to receive ampoules, am-

l 'poule limiting means associated with said tubes to prevent total telescoping action of said ampoules, and means effective to adjust the position of said limiting means for various lengths of am- Poules.,

18. An ampoule washing machine comprising an endless horizontal carriage, a relatively stasaid tubes from horizontal position at said station to vertical position therepast, and to return said tubes to horizontal position upon approach thereof to said station to complete a cycle of operation, endless felt means to feed successive ampoules at said station onto successive tubes, and

means to pass cleansing fluids through said tubes in vertical positions thereof.

19. An ampoule washing machine asgrecited in claim 18 including means associated with said tubes to eject ampoules thereon upon said approach to the loading station.

20. An ampoule washing machine as recited in claim 13 wherein said ampoule neck guide is divided into two halves, and said guide freeing means in'cluding means for moving the halves away from each to accomplish the tube freeing function.

21. An ampoule washing machine as recited in claim 13 wherein said ampoule neck guide is provided/with a bore for receiving both the ampoule neck and the tube, and said bore is formed coniand tube centering means. l.

22. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein the ampoule feeding element and guide element are multiple to load a plurality of ampoules on a plurality of tubes simultaneously.

ElNO E. KSO.

cally at each end to provide the said ampoule 

